About ACA

The American Counseling Association is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. Founded in 1952, ACA is the world's largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings.

What Is Counseling?

According to 20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling, the delegates comprised of 31 counseling organizations agreed upon a unified definition of counseling: Professional counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.

Divisions, Branches, and Regions

There are 20 chartered divisions within the American Counseling Association. These divisions provide leadership, resources and information unique to specialized areas and/or principles of counseling. ACA has four regions, which serves members in those regions. Lastly, ACA has 56 chartered branches in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. Please click the following links to get more information about ACA's Divisions, Branches, and Regions.

Latest News

ACA in the News: Sleep & Memory

by
Amber McLaughlin | Jul 30, 2014

Robert Turner, a licensed professional counselor and member of the American Counseling Association, recently spoke with EmpowHER, a leading health website for women, about the link between sleep deprivation and memory loss.

Turner explained the risk factors for developing memory problems as well as the three different areas of memory most affected by sleep deprivation.